Top roll for spinning frames or the like



1:4? Hr aha-a March 1954 R. RULON-MILLER TOP ROLL FOR SPINNING FRAMES OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 30, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

ROBERT RULON'ILLER BY ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOP ROLL FOR SPINNING FRAMES OR THE LIKE Robert Rulon-Miller, Bristol, R. I., assignor to Dixon Corporation, a corporation of Rhode Island 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in a top roll for a spinning frame or the like. More especially it has to do with the provision of improved bearing surfaces on such a roll.

The usual top roll of a sipinning frame floats, as it were, in open slots of metal cap bars. The bearing surfaces of such a top roll are also of metal and the contact between the metal surfaces of the roll and the metal surfaces of the cap bar leads to very great wear. This wear is frequentl not uniform and when the unevenness becomes excessive the top roll gets out of alignment with its co-operating bottom roll and this interferes with the desired drawing of the yarn being processed. Lubricating the bearing surfaces will naturally reduce or retard the wear but this presents another undesirable result in that the yarn itself may absorb some of the lubricant and be thereby damaged. Also the lubrication gradually spreads over adjacent surfaces of th machine and serves as a trap for lint and other particles of dirt.

The present invention has for its primary object to provide a top roll having bearing surfaces which require no lubrication, which have a very low coehlcient of friction, and which are extremely durable. This principal object is attained by providing plastic bearing surfaces on the roll. For example, the entire shaft of the roll could be made of plastic material but I prefer to apply plastic caps or sleeves to a metal shaft. Another object has to do with simple but effective means for normally retaining these sleeves or caps in place and yet permitting their ready removal if desired.

The best mode in which it has been contemplated to apply the principles of the present improvements is shown in the accompanying drawings but these are to be deemed illustrative for it is intended that the patent shall cover by suitable expression in the appended claims whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a portion of a spinning frame equipped with improved top rolls embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the improved top roll itself;

Fig. 3 is a medial longitudinal sectional view of the improved top roll; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the novel end cap sleeve.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a portion of a spinning frame hav- 2 ing a pair of end cap bars I and 2 and an intermediate cap bar 3, all having hubs la, 2a and 3a, mounted on a cap bar rod 4. Each and cap bar has a series of slots 5 in one of its sides into which the end bearings 6 of top rolls 1 project. The intermediate cap bar 3 has similar slots on opposite sides to receive the other end bearings of aligned top rolls. Underneath each top roll is a corresponding bottom roll 8 which is power driven and coacts with the top rolls to draw the yarn through the frame.

Adjacent the end bearings of each top roll are so-called cots 9 (see Fig. 2) which may be made of rubber, fibre or other material suitable for engaging yarn passing between the top rolls and their corresponding bottom rolls. Between these cots the top roll has an intermediate bearing it upon which rides the front saddle Ila, or the backsaddle [lb of a saddle assembly ll. By means of this assembly weight is imposed upon the top rolls so that they in turn exert a desired pressure on the yarn.

Heretofore the several cap bars have been made of metal and so likewise has the end and intermediate bearings of the top rolls. As already stated the consequent metal to metal contact has resulted in considerable wear of both the cap bars and the top rolls. It is obvious that if lubrication is applied to the surfaces subject to such wear it can and frequently does reach the surface of the cots and is then likely to be absorbed by the yarn being processed. The lubricant also spreads over the cap bars and over the saddles and this thin film of lubricant retains particles of dirt and lint which may be in the atmosphere and come to rest on the lubricant-filmed parts.

The improved top roll avoids all such troubles due either to excessive wear or arising from the use of any lubricant because the roll is provided with plastic bearing surfaces which have an exceedingly low coefiicient of friction, are extremely durable, and do not need any lubricant. These bearing surfaces are the surfaces of a plastic sleeve Illa (see Fig. 3) fitted onto the top roll shaft [2 between the cots, and the surfaces of plastic cap sleeves 6a fitted on the ends of the shaft outside the cots.

It is to be noted that the middle portion |2a of the to roll shaft has a larger diameter than the adjacent portions I2b and I20 on which the cots 9 are mounted. Beyond the outer ends of these latter portions the shaft is tapered, as at H11 and 12c, and at the outer end of each tapered portion is a radially extending shoulder l2 and 12g. From each shoulder the shaft extends as a hub 12h and I211 to its end, being cylindrical except for a slight ridge I2 and [270 near the said shoulders. A similar ridge I21 is provided on the middle portion l2a of the shaft, preferably near one end thereof. The size of all these ridges is somewhat exaggerated in Fig; 3 for. purposes of clearness.

The sleeve Illa has a circumferential groove [9b in its inner surface to receive the ridge I 21. when this sleeve is slipped along the portion [2a of the shaft, the material of the sleeve expanding. slightly to permit the short passage of the end of the sleeve over the ridge just before the latter registers in the groove lfib; The end capsleeves 6a are similarly formed with grooves Sb to receive the ridges I2 and [2k asthese end: sleeves are pushed onto the end hubs of the shaft. Each of the end cap sleeves has a minute hole 60. in-

its otherwise closed end to enable air to escape as the sleeve is pushed along the hub-into contact with the shoulder I 21" or 12g) on the shaft.

As the cots wear and need to be replaced they can be removed from the portions 12b and 1-20 of the shaft by simply slipping them off their respective ends of the shaft.- With: the left-cot 9 removed, it is to be notedthat the plastic sleeve 10a can also be slipped off the shaft since its inside dimension is greater thanzthatof. the. portion 125 of the shaft. The endsleeves 8a. can of course be removed anytimeif they'should need to be. Removal of any of the plastic sleeves is not anticipated, however, because-the materialof which they are to be made is extremely durable and highly resistant to. wear.

This plastic material maybe that known under the trade-name of nylon or any like material having a hardness substantially equal to a Rockwell hardness of 90-95 on: the M scale. This material can becast or molded to any desired shape, such as that of the sleeves disclosedeherein, to provide the desired bearing surfacesfor the improved top roll.

Since'this plastic material has a very low coefficient of friction there is very littlewe'ar on the sleeves and on the-metal surfaces. of thecaps bars with which the plastic bearing surfaces are in contact. Likewise, because of the greatly reduced friction, there is noneedfor any lubricant tobe used. In the event ofany unanticipated damage to a sleeve it can readily be removed and replaced by a new one, but the interengagement of the ridges on the shaft and the grooves in the sleeves insures that the latter will remain in place until intentionally removed.

I claim:

1. Atop roll for a spinning. frame or the like having a metal. shaft with a portion thereof cylindrical except for a raised circumferential ridge of the same piece of material as said shaft,

anda nylon sleeve constituting a bearing element of: said roll having an internal circumferential groove to receive said ridge; the said sleeve yielding: sufficiently as it is slipped along the said shaft portion to permit the groove and ridge to be brought intoregister.

2.- A topirollfor a spinning frame or the like having a metal shaft with hub portions at each end of cylindrical shape except for a circumferential ridge therearound of the same piece of material as said shaft, and nylon end sleeves fitted over saidhubs constituting bearing elements of said roll, each sleeve having an internal circumferential grooveto receive the ridge on said hub: and thereby retain the sleeve in place.

ROBERT RULON-MILLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 54,732. Hussey May- 15, 1866 347,910- Young et. al .Aug. 24, 1886 475,929 Carroll May 31, 1892 1,286,936 Campbell Dec. 10, 1918 2,170,545 Burton Aug. 22; 1939 2,200,129 Whiteford May 7, 1940 2,246,986 Austin June- 17-, 1941 2,216,992 Gilman June 17,1941 2,247,995 Gilbert July 1,1941 2,256,193 Cobb Sept. 16,. 1941 2,263,780 Kettley Nov. 25, 1941 2,459,598 Stott Jan. 18, 1949 2,582,516. Williams Jan. 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,427: Great Britain of 1893 311,211 Germany Feb. 28'. 19.19 

